Temporary Hearts

Chapter 1

Everyone got out of Wonderland, safe in the end. Everything was fine.
Some feelings even developed during the whole adventure. I mean Luis liked Red, Red liked Luis.
A lot...
Then there was Pink, she was looking at someone.
Max.
However, Max didn't look at her back, he looked at someone else. He has looked at the person even before the whole thing that happened with his dad. The thing was-
It looked like he liked Red, because he kept looking at Red and Luis all the time. And despite all that- nobody really noticed it. It's because he was really quiet and closed of. Even Hazel didn't see it. At least not for a while. Then she did notice.
"Max?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you like Red or somethin' dude?"
"What?"
"You keep looking at her-"
"I don't like Red. I really don't."
Then who did he like? Seriously...
"OHHHH"
And his secret was out. Well, only to Hazel that is.
To be fair someone heard a bit of that conversation...
Pink.
Of course, 'cause who else would be listening to Max secretly. Obviously she thought that he's looking at Red because he likes her sister. Aka Pink herself. So she was excited. Naturally.
What did Pink do with that? She tried getting closer to him. And at first it didn't really work for her. Everyday it was something new, like sitting next to him, bringing cupcakes to school and giving him extra, asking him to visit her dorm. And honestly he did get closer to her. Obviously- who wouldn't after all that. It only fed to Pink's delusions more, which Max didn't even know about.
"Hey Max!" Pink jumped to his locker, while he was putting some books in.
"Hey Pinky- " He used a nickname that she really liked.
"Wanna watch a movie tonight together? I can make cookies!"
"Oh sure, what kinda movie?"
"Hmm I was thinking the new romcom that just came out"
"Ohh sure yeah..." he honestly nodded blindly at this point.
"Sweet!" Pink jumped excitedly and left.
And when she did, he sighed. He loved Pink, he did. Just not the way everyone around thought he probably did (well not Hazel, she knew.). And sometimes Pink was quite a lot. Honestly Max is the quiet type, the type to not talk much about his feelings. And Pink is the opposite. Shes loud and talks about how she feels all the time. I mean opposites attract right? Yes, they do. But maybe not always. Of course Max wanted to look away for one second- and there they were. Red and Luis. Again.
It was getting tiring. Max stared at them.
"Pff. So annoying.." he whispered.
It was annoying. At least to Max... literally the two were always rubbing off on each other, always had their hands stuck together. It was like some love sickness. Literally...
He coughed.
"Crap-" he groaned, annoyed. Thank the hats that they left to go to class.
The rest of the day was kind of boring honestly. Max mostly slept in class, but answered the question if he was called on. I mean what a nerd right? If he had a class with Pink he sat next to her, usual things I suppose.
But then out of the unexpected... just when he was done thinking about that stupid smile- guess who sat next to him in art class? Luis. That goddamn idiotic motherfu-
"Hey!" Luis smiled.
Oh my hat, he smiled. At Max. AT MAX. Max almost spat out his coffee that he was drinking.
"I- uh hey!"
"You okay?" Oh my HATS. He asked him if he was okay. Now that is- literally the most basic thing ever for Luis. For Max tho? Heaven.
"Yeah! Im good.. great even-"
"Nice"
Sure Luis... Nice isn't what I'd call it. It was awkward if anything. They both stared at each other and then looked away.
"So d'ya like Pink?" Luis smiled at Max. Oh my goddamn fricking hat.
"Huh?"
"I mean you two are so close... and she told me that she thinks youre really kind." Luis you idiot.
Max coughed.
"Uhh well I-"
"So you do!" No Luis, that's not what 'uhh well I' means.
"I mean she's nice"
Luis nodded. "You should tell her, she definitely likes you back."
He couldn't tell her, though, Max didn't like Pink. Luis just kept talking. To be fair, Max just started drawing in his notebook. The same one he had drawings of his crush in. He zoned out, though still listening to Luis' voice. Only his voice, not the words. He smiled slightly and thought to himself: 'Maybe if I start to like Pink, I wont feel so down.'
So he started sketching Pink. Not because he liked her, but because he thought, liking her... even if it was fake, could help him get over the person he loves so deep when he shouldn't.
"Yeah. Okay." He finished the sketch. It was... beautiful.
"Okay? You'll tell her?" Luis smiled. There it was again.. that smile. "Woah-" that's when he noticed the drawing. "Holy.." He took the notebook. Which of course Max was a bit nervous. "This is beautiful Max... you're a great artist!"
Max smiled "you think so?"
They shared eye contact for a second.
"Absolutely. I mean like- wow"
"Thanks-" Max felt so good in that moment. That was until Red came over, because the class ended. Oh my hat they were all close again. He coughed and again. Eyes were on him.
"Uh- Im fine.. I gotta go-" he took the notebook and ran out of the classroom. The world felt slightly blurry for a moment as he got to the bathroom and leaned over the sink. 'What the hell is going on...' he thought to himself. He coughed. It was quite loud and really uncomfortable. Like he was trying to cough something out. He just didn't know what. Soon he calmed down and decided that he will just go to his dorm. At least for till he has to go to Pink's. Hopefully Felix wasn't there yet. Honestly he didn't care that he skipped classes. He did that all the time anyway. Besides the teachers loved him.
After a few hours, he got waken up by a knock. Apparently he had fallen asleep when he got to his dorm.
"Yeah? Come on in-"
It was Pink.
"Heyyy! Oh sorry were you asleep?"
"Yeah but it's fine.. I didn't even realise I fell asleep. What time is it?"
Pink smiled and walked to him. "Its 7pm. I came for you so we can go watch that movie."
"Oh right!" He got up.
"I see Felix isn't here... Oh well. Red isn't at our dorm either. She's with Luis."
Of course she's with Luis. Max coughed, even wheezed slightly.
"You okay Max?" Pink asked, worried.
"Yeah, all good. Just dust y'know..." he lied, of course.
"Alright... well let's go."
And so they went. They arrived at Pink's dorm and sat on the couch. Max looked around while Pink went to get something as snacks and drinks. Obviously Max had taken his notebook with him. He pulled out the page with Pink on it. So she could keep it, without her really seeing the art of another person. He looked at it and thought about Luis' compliment. He smiled. Of course that's when Pink walked in. So when he gave it to her, her delusions were high as Mt. Everest.
"Oh my hearts Max!" She smiled widely.
And without even thinking. She kissed his lips quickly.
"Oh- sorry!" She apologised immediately.
"No no it's okay.. it's okay." His plan was working. In fact, he leaned in and kissed her for longer. It wasn't what he wanted, not even close. But at least he was kissing someone. Even if it was too sweet?
To Pink, that was the most romantic scene that could've happened to her.
To Max? It was a way of getting away from reality.
They looked at each other. Staring into the other's eyes. Pink smiled,
"So.. are you going to ask me the big question"
Well now Max was trapped. He didn't plan on that tonight. Especially not with how fake he was about it.
"Uhm.." he hesitated for a moment.
"Pink.. will you uh.. be my girlfriend?" Oh my hat it sounded really bad. He never thought he'd ask that.
"Yes!" Her smile widened and she kissed him quickly.
Max had smiled a little too. But he wasn't really happy. Then the whole evening went by fine. It was fun even. The movie was nice, the snacks perfect. And Max was finally getting over his crush. Well... so he thought.
After it was over he went to his dorm. Felix was asleep. Max walked to their bathroom and locked himself in. He took a shower, brushed his teeth and then looked in the mirror.
"Why are you still so sad..? You have a girlfriend now... idiot." he told himself as he leaned on the sink.
And there it was again. Cough.
He coughed and again and again. A few drops of blood fell onto the floor.
"What the hell?"
And he coughed again. It hurt. Not as badly, but it wasn't just tickling either. One single purple petal fell out of his mouth.
He picked it up, it had some blood in it, but not much.
Did that just come out of the cough? What the hats was happening to him.
And then without warning, everything went black.